Post navigation

WHITTIER >> A SWAT team raided the Whittier home of an ex-convict early Friday, recovering guns and drugs, as well as machinery and information related to a massive identity theft scheme, police said.
Ulices Roman Soto, 32, was booked on suspicion of weapon-, drug- and identity-theft related crimes following the raid, Whittier police Officer Bradley White said.
SWAT officers used flash-bang grenades to rouse Soto during the operation, which unfolded about 4 a.m. at the mobile home in which Soto was living to the rear of a home in the 8300 block of College Avenue, White said. Soto was taken into custody without a struggle, he said, and detectives recovered a treasure trove of evidence from the mobile home.
“During the officers’ search, they discovered two firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, methamphetamine, stolen property, (a) credit card embosser, a skimmer, a read/writer device and hundreds of profiles used by criminals to commit fraud,” according tot he police statement.
Soto’s equipment was allegedly being used to create fraudulent credit cards using information stolen from unsuspecting victims, White said.
Police continued working to identify the hundreds of potential identity theft victims, White added. Investigators suspected the information was stolen primarily via car break-ins.
The guns seized from Soto’s home included a .45-caliber pistol and a handgun designed to shoot more-powerful rifle ammunition, White said.
A small plastic baggie of methamphetamine was recovered from Soto’s mobile home, along with a scale, officials said.
White declined to discuss the investigation that led to Soto’s arrest.
He was free on bond from a previous arrest when jailed Friday, according to county booking records.
Deputies assigned to the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Norwalk Station arrested Soto March 10, according to county booking records. Further details of the arrest were not available Friday.
Prosecutors charged him with forgery and receiving stolen property March 12, the same day he was released from custody on bond, county records show.
Los Angeles Superior Court records indicate Soto has a criminal record dating back 13 years.
He was convicted in of possession of drugs for sales and transporting drugs in 2009. Soto was convicted twice of drug possession, as well as of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun in 2006.
Soto was convicted of carrying a loaded firearm, as well as driving on a suspended or revoked license in 2005.
In 2003, he was convicted of driving without a license, according to court records. He was convicted in 2001 of being under the influence of drugs, fighting in public, resisting or obstructing police and a traffic violation.
Soto was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail, according to county booking records.

Comments Policy

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@langnews.com.